Stingers win 50th Shaughnessy Cup

With the help of some impressive passing at the hands of rookie quarterback Adam Vance, the Concordia Stingers football team took home the 50th Shaughnessy Cup against the McGill Redmen on Oct. 14 at Percival Molson Stadium with a score of 36-10.

For Stingers head coach Mickey Donovan, the game was a return after a disappointing loss to the Sherbrooke Vert et Or just two weeks ago.

“Our last performance against Sherbrooke was a disgrace,” Donovan said. “We’re a better team than what [we] showed that day. We had a statement to make today, and the guys all came together.”

The Stingers started the game off strong with two touchdowns on their first two possessions. The first touchdown was a 64-yard pass from Vance to wide receiver James Tyrrell. Just a few minutes later, Vance scored a touchdown with a nine-yard run to expand the team’s lead to 14-0.

This is Vance’s second game as a starting quarterback after quarterback Trenton Miller was injured in a game against the Laval Rouge et Or on Sept. 24. For Vance, getting more touches with the ball has made him more comfortable in games.

A McGill defender tackles running back Jean-Guy Rimpel in the 50th Shaughnessy Cup on Oct. 14. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

“I felt really good in my last start, but I’m feeling even better now,” Vance said.

The Stingers fumbled the ball in their end zone near the end of the first quarter, which led to a Redmen touchdown, making the score 14-7.

The Redmen started off the second quarter with a field goal, bringing the score to 14-10. However, that would be the closest the Redmen would come to tying the game. The Stingers finished off the half with two field goals and had a 20-10 lead at halftime.

Donovan said the defence was a big reason for the team’s win.

“The defence played amazing,” he said. “If you think about it, [we] should have gotten a shutout. [We] didn’t allow one single offensive touchdown.”

After a scoreless third quarter, the Stingers dominated the fourth quarter. Early on, Vance connected with wide receiver Yanic Lessard for a 12-yard touchdown pass which extended the team’s lead to 27-10. The Stingers would get a safety and add a touchdown late in the game to bring the score to 36-10.

The Stingers are now on their second bye week of the season, but will be back on Oct. 27 at home against the Laval Rouge et Or for their last game of the season.